https://arab.news/wz4tc
- FBI arrested 5 suspects on Friday, saying attack intended to coincide with Halloween
- ‘To date, and to my knowledge, no charges have been formally brought,’ attorney tells Arab News
CHICAGO: The attorney for five Arab and Muslim Michigan residents arrested by the FBI on Friday and accused of plotting a terrorist attack told Arab News that no evidence or formal charges have been presented to substantiate or justify the arrests.
FBI officials said the attack was intended to coincide with the children’s costume holiday of Halloween, celebrated on Oct. 31.
Dearborn Attorney Hussein Bazzi said: “We have no credible information to support the notion that a mass casualty event was planned or was going to be carried out.
“We urge the public to refrain from drawing conclusions until all the facts are known, and to allow the investigative process to unfold responsibly.
“To date, and to my knowledge, no charges have been formally brought against any of the individuals involved.”
Members of the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force search a home in Dearborn, Michigan, on Oct. 31, 2025. (AFP)
Kash Patel, the FBI’s director, posted on X on Friday: “The FBI stopped a potential terrorist attack in Michigan before it could unfold. Thanks to swift action and coordination with our partners, a violent plot tied to international terrorism was disrupted. This is what defending the homeland looks like — vigilance saves lives.”
Patel embedded with the statement a text graphic from Fox News that read: “Michigan Halloween arrests are tied to international terrorism, top fed law enforcement source tells Fox News. Multiple suspects are accused of plotting violence over the Halloween weekend.”
The identities of the five suspects have not been released by law enforcement officials, but FBI sources are quoted by several media outlets as saying they are from the suburbs of Dearborn and Inkster.
The suspects are described in media reports as being naturalized citizens from a Middle East country who had access to weapons. Neighbors described them to local media as “friendly.”
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and Dearborn police all said they were informed of the arrests by the FBI and had no direct knowledge of the evidence.